Device for cutting eyes out of large potatoes for seed



H. J. MANDERFIELD. DEVICE FOR CUTTING EYES OUT OF LARGE POTATOES FCRSEED. vAPPLxcATlgm FILED ocr. 7, 1920.

1,378,258. Patented May 17,1921.

t Egg @a MJ/Zur Izirlsu'i* OFFICE.

ROBERT J. MANDERFIELD, oF-HANCOCK-, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE non CUTTING EYnsoUT or LARGE PoTAToEs Fcilagsnnn.`

Application led October 7, 1920. Serial No. 415,319.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. MANDER- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hancock, in the county of Houghton and State ofMichigan, have invented a new vand useful Device for Cutting Eyes out ofLarge Potatoes for Seed, of which the following is a specification. Y

The object of my invention is to provide a device of simple constructionfor cutting the eyes in the shape of a perfect hemisphere from largepotatoes for seed, after which the bulk of the potato may be used forfood, and to eliminate the great waste which usually occurs where largeand well developed potatoes are planted. It is also my object to providea device which can be easily operated and which is not liable to get outof order, and which also can be readily attached to any table or shelfconveniently.v I attain these and other objects of my invention by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a side elevation of the inven tion, partly in section, to show theslot 7 Fig.' 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, online'S- of Fig. 1';

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of anattachment to be used when it is desired to cut a smaller segment out ofthe potato.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the views. 's

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I provide a frame 1 having an arm8 in which is mounted a clamp screw 9 by means of which the device maybe attached to a table or shelf. Frame 1 is provided with a horizontallyextending arm 15 terminating in a ring 14 within which is mounted asemicylindrical knife 16 which is attached at its outer end to ring14'by the pivot 17 and at its inner end is attached to the rod or knifearm 12 which is held in its bearing on arm 15 Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 1c, 1921.

portion of the plunger 3 is hollow and contains a suitable spiral spring5 within its hollow or chambered portion 4. Thelowe'r end of this springrests on an arm- 6'.which` is screwed to the frame l and projects into'the slot 7 of plunger 3, and the' channel portion 4 to enga e andsupport the lower end of spring 5, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Arm

6 also functions to'limit the downward -fmovement of the plunger 3 to adistance equal to that of the slot 7 into which it projects.

rIo operate the seed potato cutter the lplunger is manuallydepressed,its rack portion 10 causing segment pinion 11, knife arm 12 andsemi-circular knife 16 to rotate a half circle and cut a lsmall 'segmentof the potato out including and surrounding the eye which is to be usedin planting as seed. The po# tato is held under ring 14, so that thekposition .of the eye of the potato maybe seen while it is being cutout.` Y

When it is desired t0 cut out a smaller portion of the potato than withthe devices the potato for food withoutV sacrificing the l amount ofnourishment necessary for the potato seed. lThe device cuts out the eyeof the potato in a portion in the shape of a small hemisphere, asillustrated in Figs. 4

and 5. Y

What I claim is: Y y

l. In a seed potato-cuttenthe combination of a frame includingmeans foradjustably clamping same toa table, a plunger slidably j mounted insaidframe, said plunger having a knob for depressing the plunger convenviently, and having a rack portion, aknife supporting arm extendinghorizontally from the frame and terminating in a ring, a semi-circularknife pivotally mounted, on said ring, a knife arm rotatably mounted onthe knife supporting arm and affixed to one end of the knife, a pinionsegment mounted on the other end of the knife arm and meshing with therack portion of the plunger. Y

2. In combination with the mechanism described in. claim 1, resilient'means engaging the plunger and normally holding it in raised positionand tending to cause it and the knife to return to original positionafter the knife and plunger have been operated.

3. In a seed potato cutter, the combination of a frame including meansfor clamping same to a table, a knife supporting arm integral with theframe and terminating in a ring, a semi-circular knife pivotally mountedat the outer end on the ring, a rod attached to the other end oftheknife and a gear element on'the other end of said rod in operativeengagement with the rack portion of a plunger, a plungerslidably'moun-ted in the frame and having a rack portion in mesh withthe'aforesaid gear element, the plunger having a chambere'd lower endand having a slot opening into said chambered portion, an arm attachedto the frame and projecting through the slotted portionof the plunger,and a spiral spring having one of its ends bearing on said arm andhaving its other end bearing on the plunger to resiliently press theplunger to its raised position'and normally hold the knife inits seat onthe knife supporting member.

4. In combination with the apparatus described in claim 3, a ringadapted1 to be mounted on the ring of the knife supporting member, andmeans for clamping-said ring on the knife supporting member, whereby theoperative arc of the knife will be reduced in size. o Y

5. In a seed potato cutter,` the combination of a frame, a plungerslidable in said frame, the plunger having' a rack portion, a knifesupporting member integral with the frame, a knife mounted 'on saidmember, means operatively connecting the knife withthe rack portion ofthe plunger, a ring adapted to be mounted on theknife supporting member,and clamping means for releasably securing said ring on the knifesupporting member, whereby ,the cutting range of the knife will bereduced to cut out a small portion of the potato.

6. In a seed potato cutter, the combination ofa frame, adjustable meansfor clamping same to a shelf or table, a plunger slidable in said frame,the plunger having a rack portion, a knife supporting member integralwith the frame, a knife mounted on said member, means operativelyconnecting the imite with the rack portion of the plunger,

lknife so that a small portion of the potato surrounding the eye will betaken out by the knife. Y

7. In combination with the mechanism described in claim l, a .ring`adapted to be mounted on the ring carried by theknifesupporting arm andalined with said ring, and means forrclampin-g said ringfto the annularportion of the knife-supporting arm to limit the operating range of theknife member, whereby to effect a greater saving in the bulk of thepotato Ywhich is not required for seed.

ROBERT J. MANDERFIELD. i

